Monday, May 30, 2005

These are the best of times, these are the worst of times

Okay, let's start with the worst, since the good far outweighs the bad today, and most days fortunately, and it is always good to leave people on a good note.

There was only one bathroom to be found during our entire ride today - that was at 8 miles, so for the remaining 33 miles, no bathroom. Peter suggested I just get over it and go in the woods, of which there were plenty, but there was also plenty of mosquitos, plenty and plenty.

I really have to do something about the saddle on my bike or the clothes I am wearing, or the height of my seat, or something, because I am in way too much pain late in the rides and on a long ride like today, it goes beyond tolerable. So at 36 miles today, I am in so much pain, I need a bathroom, and I figure we have 6 miles to go (it turned out to be just under 5), and I could not go any further. I finally just stopped the bike, stood astride the bike, leaned on the handlebar bag and had a good cry for about 5 minutes. It probably would have been longer, but a wonderfully concerned local couple in a pick up truck stopped to see if I was okay. After we chatted for a minute and I thanked them, I pulled myself together, and Peter and I cycled on to the B and B in Walterboro.

We are in a second floor room in a gorgeous Bed and Breakfast, that part belongs on the good things list, but we had to unload our bikes which we have not had to do in some time. We have been very lucky in taking our bikes into our rooms for the past week, including our second floor room in Savannah where Peter and I carried the loaded bikes up to the second floor one bike at a time and then took them into our spacious room. So today, we had to unpack all our bags and lock our bikes up outside, we certainly got spoiled quickly.

And of course, there is always Cingular and what we have to put up with to post anything to the internet (we have been doing more dial-up of late when we have a local phone number and a jack in our room - which costs us up to $21 a month for unlimited minutes versus Cingular for $75 a month for unlimited wireless minutes, and dial-up is always faster than Cingular - but tonight it is Cingular, as painful as it is. We actually pay $5 a month for Earthlink and then after 20 free hours we pay $1 an hour up to $21 a month max. We get better service on dial-up for a third of what we pay for Cingular wireless. But, we put up with it for now, Cingular that is.

Now for the good things, and there are plenty, which is way cool, of course ---

Don't take my comment earlier about getting spoiled to far, we are by no means having a walk in the park, though we are having lots of wonderful events which include meeting terrific people like the elderly couple in a pick up truck who turned around in the road to pull up beside me and ask me if I was okay and then turned around to back the way they were going, south.

Then there is the B&B where we have this unbelievably stunning room for $75 which includes breakfast. We found this place on the internet last night and again, like so many times so far on this trip, we stumbled onto a little paradise. Don and Jean, the innkeepers, are so caring and charming, we are flattered to no end. When Peter asked where we could find a place to eat in town, Jean invited us to have dinner with her and Don and we accepted. The meal was scrumptous, and we had a lovely time chatting. We feel so welcome here, and cannot recommend this place enough if you ever pass through Walterboro, SC and are looking for a place to stay.

The East Coast Greenway route calls for hitting the town of Yemasee and then heading due East towards Charleston. However, there are no hotels for miles. In fact, it would have been 70 miles from Ridgeland to the next hotel and Peter and I cannot do that distance yet in a single day, well, not without lots and lots and lots of breaks..... So, we headed north to Walterboro, and will head Northeast tomorrow to Summerville, and another lovely B&B that Don and Jean recommended, and then to Mount Pleasant the next day and back on the ECG route. We are doing this to find places to stay and the benefit today, despite all my whining about my backside, and no bathrooms, was one of the loveliest rides we have had to date. Route 17 Alt going from Ridgeland to Walterboro is just a beautiful ride with miles of swamp (as long as your moving so the mosquitos don't get you, the swamps are very cool), miles of wildlife refuge, miles of forests, just miles and miles, and we passed through or by a number of farms. With the cool weather, overcast skies, and lovely landscape, the ride was great (if only I could have a bathroom whenever I needed one, and figure out how to ride so ti would be less traumatic to my body, then it would be like a vacation!)

Up to Yemasee, we actually found the right roads when we were supposed to find them, followed the route the way we were supposed to, did not get lost, and had no surprises. That works for me.

It did not rain on us, a few sprinkles here and there early in the day, but otherwise, we missed all the rain, or rather the rain missed us.

Comments

It is so cool you got to experience some real southern hospitality. It is not a myth. Southerners, include some of the worst racist, sexist bastards in the world. I was 14 when I was first called a "god damn nigger loving yankee" in Montgomery AL. The lesson stuck. On the other hand, southerners also include some of the kindest most generous people you will ever meet. Plus they can cook, I mean really cook. I am told midwestern people are the nicest of all Americans. So you see both sides in one trip, lucky you. You might consider getting off the bike at more frequent intervals just to walk around. No reason to push your self to an actual injury, is there? Thinking of you and Peter, hoping your luck holds.